DHAKA: Australia bowled out Bangladesh for 260 and then suffered a spectacular top-order collapse of their own to leave them reeling at 18 for three after the spin-dominated opening day of the first test on Sunday.
On a day of fluctuating fortunes, Bangladesh slumped to 10-3 before Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal raised 155 runs to help them post a competitive total at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
Australia witnessed a similar collapse in their reply and slumped to 14-3 as Bangladesh roared back into the contest in the eventful final session when eight wickets fell.
Matt Renshaw was batting on six at stumps with skipper Steve Smith on three. Australia now face a daunting task on a spin-friendly track where slow bowlers have claimed nine of the 13 wickets that fell on the opening day.
After opting to bat, Bangladesh were left gasping for breath after Pat Cummins reduced them to 10-3 inside four overs with a terrific display of fast bowling.
The paceman gave an indication of things to come with his third delivery, which flew off the shoulder of Soumya Sarkar’s blade and soared over the agitated slip fielders.
Two balls later, the batsman was caught in the gully by Peter Handscomb.
Cummins returned to have Imrul Kayes and Sabbir Rahman off successive deliveries, the leaden-footed batsmen perishing caught behind without scoring.
With two left-handers at the crease, Smith pressed off-spinner Nathan Lyon into service but Shakib and Tamim, playing their 50th tests, refused to retreat into a defensive shell and batted positively.
Both batsmen used their feet against the spinners, steadying the innings and reaching half-centuries in the process.
Glenn Maxwell’s part-time off-spin finally earned Australia the breakthrough with Tamim lobbing one to David Warner at backward point to fall for a 71 which included three sixes off Lyon’s bowling.
Lyon then claimed the important wicket of Shakib with an extra bit of bounce from the track when the batsman edged him to Smith in the slips. Shakib’s 84 included 11 boundaries. — Reuters
SCOREBOARD
Bangladesh first innings
T Iqbal c Warner b Maxwell71
S Sarkar c Handscomb b Cummins8
I Kayes c Wade b Cummins0
S Rahman c Wade b Cummins0
Shakib c Smith b Lyon84
M Rahim lbw Agar18
N Hossain lbw Agar23
M Hasan c Handscomb b Lyon18
T Islam lbw Lyon4
S Islam c Hazlewood b Agar13
M Rahman (not out)0
Extras (B-15, LB-3, NB-2, W-1)21
Total (all out, 78.5 overs)260
Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-10, 3-10, 4-165, 5-188, 6-198, 7-240, 8-246, 9-246.
Bowling: Hazlewood 15-5-39-0, Cummins 16-1-63-3, Lyon 30-6-79-3, Agar 12.5-2-46-3, Maxwell 5-0-15-1.
Australia first innings
D Warner lbw Mehedi8
M Renshaw (batting)6
U Khawaja (run out)1
N Lyon lbw Shakib0
S Smith (batting)3
Extras:0
Total (for 3 wkts, nine overs)18
Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-14, 3-14.
Bowling: Shafiul 2-0-8-0, Mehedi 4-2-7-1, Shakib 3-1-3-1
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